FalconEye Review 35: Sonic
Here it is guys, SEGA's most recent attempt at a racing game, the Sonic & SEGA All-Stars games. So far there are two of them, this one, and Transformed. Now, before I begin, let's take a look at Sonic's history in racing games: Sonic Drift: Bleh Sonic Drift 2: Bleh Bleh Sonic R: Sonic R was definetly an improvement over the Drift games. It controlled better, but it still had it's flaws, such as the limited tracks, broken Super Sonic, and creepy Tails Doll. Good music though..... sort of. Sonic Riders: Sonic Riders was also a step up. It was released for Sonic's 15th anniversary along with those two games (Sonic 06 and Sonic Genesis). This game was meant to be a filler game (ironically, it was the best thing to come out of the 15th anniversary). It was an okay game. The graphics were..... interesting, the learning streak was a little long, but overall, once you learn how to play it, it's an okay game. Sonic Riders Zero Gravity: I haven't played this game, but I imagine it was about the same as the original Sonic Riders. Sonic Rivals: This was a 2D racing game. Once again, okay, but still a filler, same goes for the sequel, Sonic Rivals 2. And now we have Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing. Is it a step up from the Riders and Rivals series, is it just another filler, or is it another car crash? Plot It's.... a racing game.... Gameplay When SEGA first released footage of this game, many people were very skeptical, myself included. Why was Sonic driving a car? Why were all these other characters with him? Well, in February of 2010, the game finally came out all the major consoles, and an iPhone version was released in June 2011. It's a pretty standard racing game, so I don't think I need to go into detail about the controls too much. Similar to Mario Kart, you can pick up items on the track that you can use to your advantage. Unlike Mario Kart, they really don't do much, they might as well not be there. One item that will halp you however is your All-Star move, which allows you to move much aster and not be affected by items or obstacles. For example, Sonic and Shadow turn into Super Sonic and Super Shadow, and Billie Hatcher turns into a giant egg. However, you're only going to get an All-Star item if you're in dead last or you're just terrible at the game. So, the driving force in this game is drifting. For those who have played Crash Team Racing, you'll know exactly what I mean. By drifting, not only can you make sharp turns easiar, but also gives you boosts of speed when used right. If you can master the drift, you master the game. Playable Characters The characters varie depending on the platform. On the Console versions, you have at the start of the game: Sonic (Sonic the Hedgehog) Tails (Sonic the Hedgehog) Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog) Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic the Hedgehog) Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog) AiAi (Super Monkey Ball) Amigo (Samba de Amigo) Billie Hatcher (Billie Hatcher) There are also unlockable characters you buy using Sega Miles, which you earn by winning races (you can also but unlockable race tracks) Knuckles the Echidna (Sonic the Hedgehog) Big the Cat (Sonic the Hedgehog) Beat (Jet Set Radio) Ulala (Space Channel 5) B.D. Joe (Crazy Taxi) Zobio and Zobiko (The House of the Dead) Ryo Hazuki (Shenmue) Jacky Bryant and Akira Yuki (Virtua Fighter) Mobo and Robo (Bonanza Bros.) The ChuChu's (ChuChu Rocket) Opa-Opa (Fantasy Zone) Alex Kidd (Alex Kidd) Also, in the X-Box 360 version, you can play as Banjo and Kazooie and your avatar. In the Wii version, you can play as your Mii. You can also download Metal Sonic and Ryo-F in the 360 and PS3 versions. The iPhone version is a little different. They don't have as many characters, and some of the unlocked/unlockables are switched, but thats it. Allright, all these characters are great.... but....... what happened to Knights? He's only a flag man, why aren't they playable!!!? You know what, whatever. Good Aspects This game is probably the best Sonic racing game, but.... Bad Aspects .... It does nothing new. Items make me think of Mario Kart, drifting makes me think of Crash Team Racing, and nothing about this game really sticks out to me. I mean, it's colorful, but that's about it. Conclusion So, if you're thinking about a Sonic racing game, All-Stars Racing. It's the best Sonic Racing game I've played, and once I get around to getting an HD console or when SEGA releases an iPhone port, I look forward to trying out the sequel to see if it adds anything that sticks out in a good way. I'll give this game an 8/10. Next Time, on Sonic the Hedgehog... ....Sonic travels to the GBA in his first platformer on a Nintendo handheld, in FalconEye vs. Sonic Advance.